


under the stars

by luvsyong



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Office, Fluff, Kinda, M/M, Pining, Strangers to Lovers, office workers!dojae
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2020-12-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:48:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28400406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luvsyong/pseuds/luvsyong
Summary: jaehyun has a crush on his hardworking and reserved coworker doyoung, who doesn’t even know his name. jaehyun thinks fate has led them together when he finds out he’s doyoung’s secret santa. luckily for him, jaehyun knows he has a rather cute infatuation with frogs.(or the secret santa au where doyoung likes frogs and jaehyun likes him.)
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung
Comments: 16
Kudos: 142





	under the stars

**Author's Note:**

> christmas au four days after christmas. yup

green, slimy and gross are the words jaehyun associates with frogs; the amphibian he didn’t think he cared about. that was until he realized that there was more to frogs, and at the same time, more to his coworker than his cold demeanor let on.

the first time jaehyun noticed doyoung’s association with frogs was when he walked past his cubicle. it wasn’t the first time he’d done so, since their cubicles were fairly close to each other, but it was the first time he had taken a closer look. there were various clay structures on his desk, and much to jaehyun’s surprise, they were all tiny figurines of _frogs_ . jaehyun shrugged it off. he thought that maybe they were just a gift, since doyoung didn’t seem like the type of person to enjoy _frogs_ of all things.

fast forward to present day. jaehyun is in the coffee room brewing himself a cup of fragrant coffee, when doyoung walks in. he's notified of his presence when he hears the heavy glass door close behind him.

“would you like me to make you a cup?” jaehyun asks, breaking the silence. he gestures to the coffee pod he already has in his hands.

doyoung regards him for a possible moment. “i’m okay, thank you.” he says quietly. 

he places his phone on the counter and makes himself a cup of tea before leaving the room. it takes him no longer than three minutes, and he’s soundless throughout the whole process. their exchanges have always been like this; short two sentence conversations or no words exchanged at all. jaehyun is reasonably sure doyoung doesn’t even know his name. 

sighing, jaehyun picks up his own cup. he’s about to leave, putting the hot cup of coffee to his lips, before he notices something: doyoung’s phone is sitting on the counter, having been forgotten by its owner. 

jaehyun doesn’t go to grab it, just stands there for a moment, contemplating what he should do. he pictures doyoung as the type of person to be mad if someone were to touch his things, but jaehyun supposes it isn’t that big of a deal. after all, he’d be grateful if someone returned his phone to him. justifying his thoughts, he makes up his mind is about to go reach for the cellphone, before a notification causes the screen to light up. it lets jaehyun take a peek at his lock screen.

it’s a drawing of a… frog. it’s a cute drawing and jaehyun thinks it’s even cuter that doyoung has this as his lock screen. he lets a smile spread across his face, amused at how many frog related things doyoung owns. he wonders how many more frogs he’ll see around doyoung. 

he grabs the phone and walks back, putting it on doyoung’s desk when he reaches it.

“you forgot your phone in the coffee room.” jaehyun states, and takes a glimpse at the familiar clay frog figurines sprawled across his desk.

“thank you.” doyoung says curtly. he spares jaehyun a quick glance before going back to work, slender hands typing away at his keyboard. jaehyun’s eyes fall to the floor and he makes his way back to his own desk in swift movements. doyoung is a little confused at why jaehyun seems so joyful, but pushes the thought out of his head.  
  


“i’m sure doyoung knows your name, jaehyun.” johnny sighs. johnny is one of jaehyun’s best friends both in and out of work, having met when jaehyun started working at this company. johnny had been here for a few months longer than him, but the two realized they had a lot in common, and now spend most of their lunch breaks together. jaehyun is pretty close with a few people at work, but he can’t deny that johnny is one of his favourite people to be around. 

“i’m not sure he does, he never even says it! i don’t think i’ve ever heard him say more than three words.” jaehyun complains. he makes sure to keep his voice down though, seeing as doyoung and taeyong are sitting a mere four tables away from them. 

“he’s just reserved, you know? likes to keep to himself,” johnny says, eyeing doyoung and taeyong laughing with each other. “unless it’s with taeyong, they’re best friends.” 

jaehyun sinks into his chair and rubs his eyes. 

he started his job at this profitable company five months ago. jaehyun was excited, having heard amazing things about it-- from the people to the pay. if that wasn’t enough, the practical benefits this company offered were enough to push jaehyun into working here. jaehyun supposes doyoung is an extra perk. he saw doyoung walking around on his very first day and didn't hesitate to gawk at him. doyoung was as alluring back then as he is now. he didn’t pay any mind to jaehyun, but jaehyun didn’t care. it just made staring at him less embarrassing and awkward. 

either way, it’s been a total of five months since jaehyun has started pining for doyoung, and he has made no advancements and has had no successes. his biggest achievement thus far has been returning doyoung’s phone to him, and johnny doesn’t consider it as a success at all.

“just ask him out or something. what’s the worst thing that can happen? he says no?” johnny suggests, to which jaehyun violently shakes his head.

“yes, that _would_ be the worst. i don’t think i could live with myself after that.” jaehyun says, wincing at the thought. 

johnny sighs. jaehyun’s thoughts are interrupted when he spots doyoung and taeyong walking towards them. he turns around to see if they’re trying to go somewhere else, but he’s met with a blank wall and taeyong and doyoung taking a seat at their table. 

“we’re here for you guys, jaehyun.” taeyong laughs. jaehyun blanks and then flushes, mouth opening before closing again. doyoung is sitting beside johnny watching the two, expressionless. jaehyun takes a moment to take in the sight of doyoung; his glasses sit flawlessly on the bridge of his nose, and his suit doesn’t have a single wrinkle, ironed to perfection. jaehyun can’t say the same about his suit, having had no time to iron it, and settling for flattening it out with his hands.

“jaehyun, you’re staring.” johnny whispers into his ear, though it’s loud enough for everyone at the table to hear. jaehyun is much more embarrassed than he was before, both cheeks and ears tinted pink. jaehyun nervously looks back at doyoung, who has a slight smile poking at the corners of his mouth.

“anyway, we wanted to tell you that we’re doing secret santa this year! just our floor,” taeyong explains, excitement lighting up his face. “donghyuck will come around with the names. i’m just letting you guys know.” 

and with that, both taeyong and doyoung get up to leave, saying their goodbyes. it’s meshed with jaehyun and johnny saying goodbye at the same time. 

jaehyun _thinks_ he hears doyoung say “ _bye jaehyun_ ” quietly, and squeals at the thought. 

  
  
  


by the time donghyuck comes around for name picking, jaehyun is already feeling burnt out. his head hurts from having stared at his computer for so long, and all the dying words he’s reading seem to just repeat themselves over and over again. 

“feeling tired, jaehyun?” donghyuck asks, extending out a glass bowl of paper slips for jaehyun to reach into. 

“a little, i guess. didn’t get enough sleep last night.” jaehyun says, yawning as he wiggles his hand around to pick out a nametag. it’s crumpled and wrinkly from presumably everyone touching it, but jaehyun can make out the word _doyoung_ on it in donghyuck’s messy writing. 

“you have your person?” donghyuck asks, to which jaehyun nods breathlessly. “the minimum is 30 dollars and the maximum is 100 dollars. do what you will with this information.” 

donghyuck winks and walks away, leaving jaehyun to marinate in his excitement. he peeks over the wall of his cubicle and sees doyoung reading documents. his hair is a little tousled, less styled than usual, probably due to constantly running his fingers through it. the sight is a blessing to jaehyun’s eyes, and he almost wants to take out his phone and take a picture.

excitedly, he begins to plan out different gifts for doyoung; all of them having something to do with frogs. 

  
  
  


“do you think i should buy him a frog sweater? or maybe a frog pillow case?” jaehyun asks mindlessly and it’s mostly just him voicing his thoughts. 

mark watches him cluelessly. “you’re getting frog theme gifts for… doyoung?” 

“yup, bet you didn’t know he has an obsession with frogs!” jaehyun giggles and mark just shakes his head.

“no, i didn’t know that at all, actually,” mark sighs, clueless at why jaehyun’s eyes are lighting up. “from what you told me, he doesn’t sound like that type of person, at least.”

jaehyun squeaks. “isn’t it so cute? my cold and reserved co-worker loves… frogs! of all things!” 

mark rolls his eyes, flipping through the clothing racks. “why don’t you just get him a pet frog then?” 

jaehyun stops and his eyes widen. he grabs onto the younger’s shoulders, a smile spreading across his face. “oh my god, mark, you’re a genius.” 

jaehyun drags mark out of the clothing store to go to a pet shop instead. they spend an hour looking at the different coloured frogs. jaehyun is too fascinated by them to notice that mark has already left him to look at the cats and dogs. 

“jaehyun?” a voice says. it’s familiar, but at the same time jaehyun can’t quite remember who it belongs to. he looks up and to his surprise, he sees doyoung. he’s dressed in casual wear; sweatpants and a sweatshirt, hair ruffled and glasses discarded somewhere. it’s undoubtedly a sight to savour.

“you know my name?” jaehyun blurts, and he flushes when he realizes what he’s said. to his surprise though, doyoung cracks a charming smile and stifles a laugh.

“of course i do. what do you take me for?” doyoung asks, and he’s amused. he’s holding a big bag of fish food in one hand, phone and keys in the other, big hands gripping the items easily. jaehyun shouldn’t be so attracted to such minute things.

jaehyun shrugs. “you own a fish?” 

“yeah, you own a frog?” doyoung asks back, nodding his head at the frogs jaehyun was gazing at. jaehyun blanks, before frantically standing up. 

“uh- no. i mean- well- yes. yes, i do.” jaehyun stutters, hoping that he doesn’t come off as suspicious. he’d hate for doyoung to find out he was his secret santa.

“oh, really?” doyoung’s eyes light up, and jaehyun has never seen him like this. he beams at the sight. “i love frogs.” 

“i know.” jaehyun laughs and his hand goes to rub at his nape.

doyoung looks at him with a raised eyebrow. “you do?” 

“you make it pretty obvious. i mean, your lockscreen is a frog, you have frogs on your desk, and sometimes you wear that bracelet with a frog on it.” jaehyun lists off. he realizes he might’ve sounded a little weird when doyoung looks at him in both amusement and astonishment. 

“not that i watch you or anything. i’ve just noticed.” jaehyun says quickly, hoping he doesn’t come off as creepy or anything of the sort. he’d hate to leave an unfavourable impression on the guy he has a crush on. jaehyun is soon heating up with embarrassment, before mark comes back and saves the day.

“dude, there’s this super cute cat over there, and i want to adopt her so bad-” 

mark stops when he notices doyoung standing ahead of them. 

“mark, this is doyoung. doyoung, this is mark.” jaehyun introduces and mark flashes him a look that makes jaehyun want to punch him. 

“so _this_ is doyoung, eh?” mark asks, making sure to put extra emphasis on the word ‘this’. doyoung furrows his eyebrows in confusion and jaehyun lightly punches mark’s back.

“what do you mean by-”

“well, it was nice seeing you, doyoung! catch you later!” jaehyun says hurriedly, and he drags mark out of the store. mark is trying to wave back at doyoung, but jaehyun pulls his hand down. 

  
  
  


the next day, jaehyun is back at work, and doyoung doesn’t seem to be acting any differently. jaehyun supposes it was his fault for expecting -- hoping -- for anything different. one slightly lengthier conversation between them wasn’t going to alter anything. even doyoung knowing jaehyun’s name couldn’t even be considered much of an accomplishment- they were still barely friends. nevertheless, jaehyun continues his usual habits, stealing glances at doyoung and walking past his cubicle whenever he has the chance. even if it’s just to refill his coffee cup. (which doesn’t need refilling.)

doyoung is absorbed in his work as he normally is, his nimble fingers never seeming to halt on the keyboard. jaehyun admires him and his incredible work ethic, one that jaehyun wishes he had. jaehyun also admires the hairstyle doyoung decided to do today. a little different from his usual one, he let some of his bangs cover his forehead instead of slicking them all back. it’s more of a domestic and endearing look compared to his usual hairstyle.

jaehyun stares for a little longer, happy that his height enables him to do so without much struggle. he’s about to look at doyoung’s glasses, when he notices that doyoung’s eyes are no longer directed at his computer screen. in fact, they’re looking straight at him. instinctively, jaehyun ducks down. he returns his eyes to the dreadful work he has to finish, before deciding to peek back at doyoung.

yep, he’s still looking back at him.

jaehyun resists the urge to look at doyoung for the rest of the day, choosing to save the little dignity he has left after being caught.

  
  
  


“who are you buying a gift for?” jaehyun asks. 

johnny looks around before answering. “taeyong. do you have any idea what he’d want?” 

jaehyun thinks and starts to laugh. “a picture of you. i’m sure he’d like it.” 

johnny rolls his eyes. “you’re useless.” he sighs, shaking his head.

“get him like a bracelet or something. i bet he’d like that.” jaehyun suggests truthfully, trying to think about what taeyong likes. he’s only slightly more familiar with taeyong than doyoung, but still doesn’t know much about the elder’s personal interests or hobbies.

“you know, doyoung would know what he’d want. why don’t you ask him for me?” johnny asks cheekily. he’s nodding over at doyoung, who’s standing by the vending machine, scrolling on his phone.

“why don’t you ask him yourself?” jaehyun groans, not wanting to talk to him after having been caught staring.

“please, jaehyunnie?” johnny says in a high-pitched ‘cute’ voice. jaehyun pretends to vomit and decides to go anyway, seeing as johnny likely won’t stop pestering him about it. he walks over and his footsteps sound loud in his ears. hearing the noise, doyoung lifts his head. jaehyun smiles awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

“do you know what taeyong would like?” he asks abruptly. doyoung stares at him in confusion. “i mean, for secret santa. like, gift-wise.” 

“why? are you his secret santa?” doyoung smirks.

“no! i- i’m asking for someone, obviously.” jaehyun scoffs quietly. 

“hm, in that case, taeyong likes candies. sweet foods in general. he also likes cool clothes and shoes… so i’d suggest you customize something for him.” doyoung says, and jaehyun is happily surprised at the thoughtful answer.

“thank you, and also, i’m not his secret santa! i’ll pass this information onto my friend.” jaehyun huffs, and doyoung just teasingly giggles at him. jaehyun can see his gums and bunny teeth and thinks doyoung can’t get anymore perfect. 

  
  
  
  


jaehyun is making what he believes is his fifth coffee of the day. each time it’s less and less effective, and jaehyun feels himself starting to fall asleep. he’s working overtime to finish a report due early tomorrow morning, and the clock informs him it’s already 10 pm. jaehyun thinks there are two other people on his floor still working, but he’s unsure. can’t bother to check either. 

he shuffles back to his cubicle before a voice immobilizes him.

“working late today?” doyoung asks. his tie is loose and undone, hair disheveled. with his sleeves rolled up, jaehyun gets a clear view of his veiny hands, and almost drools.

“yeah, have to finish a report.” he mumbles, rubbing his eyes. he’s debating if he should call a taxi home tonight.

“do you need a ride?” doyoung offers, as if reading jaehyun’s mind, and his eyes widen. he jumps at the idea of being in the same car as doyoung, _alone_.

“oh, i’m okay, thank you though-”

“no really, it’s fine. it’d be hard to get a taxi at this hour too.” doyoung says, and jaehyun can’t bring himself to refuse the offer of his dreams.

“alright. thank you, doyoung.” jaehyun smiles and beams with anticipation.

“not a problem. i’ll get off in one hour, does that work for you?” doyoung asks, and jaehyun basks in his thoughtfulness. he nods and returns back to his desk, thoughts filled with one person and one person only. 

jaehyun doesn’t know how he manages to finish and email his report, since the only thing he remembers doing is think about doyoung. either way, his patience and hard work pay off, because he ends up in the elevator with doyoung. the ride is silent but not awkward. it’s a comfortable silence, the type that jaehyun willingly lets sit in the air.

doyoung unlocks his car with a beep and jaehyun climbs into the front seat. the inside (and outside) of the car is neat and tidy, but jaehyun isn’t surprised. he’d expect nothing less of his coworker. there’s a little frog charm dangling from the rearview mirror, and it causes jaehyun to smile. 

“why are you smiling?” doyoung asks, but his tone is playful, unlike his usual idiomatic one.

“‘cause i spot another frog!” jaehyun laughs, pointing at the frog charm. 

“ah, you got me.” doyoung sighs pleasantly. jaehyun inserts his address into doyoung’s gps and he starts driving. it is truly a sight to behold. doyoung drives with one hand (two hands when he needs to) and leans back, letting his free hand roam through his hair occasionally. he looks like a model, and jaehyun is sure he’d watch any commercial willingly if doyoung was in it.

“do you live alone?” doyoung asks, turning down the radio. it’s barely audible when he’s done fiddling with it, but jaehyun doesn’t mind. he’d rather listen to doyoung’s voice anyway. jaehyun makes a noise of affirmation and doyoung hums. he follows the stars outside, the traffic lights looking like a colourful blur. 

“jaehyun.” 

jaehyun feels a light shake on his shoulder and blinks awake. the car has stopped moving, and jaehyun realizes that he (embarrassingly) fell asleep.

“oh, sorry, doyoung. thank you for driving me.” jaehyun croaks, rubbing his eyes.

“no problem, jaehyun.” doyoung smiles, and watches as jaehyun enters his apartment complex before driving off. 

  
  
  


jaehyun has developed a routine for his everyday. he wakes up, goes to work, and then comes home. that’s how all his days go, and rarely are there any variables. though of course, sometimes he’ll go out for coffee or have dinner with johnny, but that’s about it. apart from that, there’s doyoung, and staring at him seems to have become part of jaehyun’s routine as well.

their gift exchange for secret santa is tomorrow, and jaehyun makes a mental note to pick up the frog and tank after he gets off work. having had a sufficient nine hours of sleep last night, jaehyun is feeling much more energized. his unfinished work doesn’t feel like it's piling up, and he feels as though he’s gotten a decent amount of it done by the end. 

he takes a look at his desk. it’s cleaner than usual, thanks to him having shoved everything into the drawers prior; save for a cup of writing utensils. jaehyun doesn’t have any decorations or photos on his cubicle and it’s dull, bland, and boring. unlike jungwoo’s, the cubicle next to his, which is decorated with many colourful photos and magnets. jaehyun doesn’t mind, though. he’s unsure what he’d want to decorate it with anyway, and he’s happy with his empty set up. jaehyun is pulled away from his thoughts when johnny’s head greets him over his cubicle wall. 

“company dinner tonight. want me to drive you?” 

jaehyun nods. he wasn’t informed of this night out, but he supposes it’s because he hasn’t checked his email all day. (which he should probably do.)

“nice, meet me in my car after work. they’re letting us off early.” johnny smirks, gesturing to the higher ups currently on their floor. 

jaehyun goes into the washroom and straightens out his suit, carefully retucking his tie. his hair is fairly neat after a day’s wear, and jaehyun leaves it as is. he packs up his things and makes his way to the car garage. after spotting johnny’s car, he lets himself in, instinctively opening the front car door. he’s surprised at the sight of taeyong sitting in his usual seat.

“sorry, jaehyun. i called shotgun!” taeyong says, smiling widely at him. 

jaehyun sighs and opens the door to the back seat, greeted with the sight of doyoung sitting, legs crossed. jaehyun takes a deep breath, closing his door and putting on his seat belt. he’s sure his hands have started to sweat by now, and he rubs his palms on his thighs. johnny and taeyong are talking about the restaurant they’re having dinner at, and doyoung is leaning on the car door, eyes out the window. jaehyun almost wants to say something, but soon decides against it. be it that doyoung looks preoccupied or jaehyun is simply too nervous, he doesn’t know. 

jaehyun takes out his phone and scrolls mindlessly on it, before glancing back at doyoung. the look of doyoung’s slightly wrinkled suit and tie pulled loose is one that jaehyun drinks in, and is enough for him to gulp. 

“are you staring at doyoung back there?” johnny asks suddenly, eyes directed at him in the rearview mirror. it causes doyoung to turn around and look at him, making jaehyun blush, embarrassed.

“i was not!” he denies, quickly going back to looking out the window. 

“i saw you.” johnny teases, and jaehyun wants the floor to open up and swallow him.

“please shut up.” jaehyun says curtly, and it earns a laugh out of both johnny and taeyong.

he doesn’t look at doyoung after that.

  
  
  


the food is delicious and it’s made even better when jaehyun finds out it’s all being paid for. he eats frantically, stuffing himself with as much sustenance as possible. 

“wow, jaehyun, aren’t you a sucker for free food?” yuta, one of his coworkers sitting nearby, asks. 

jaehyun rolls his eyes, chopsticks going back into his mouth. “who isn’t?” he tries to say, though it’s muffled and barely audible. 

sitting beside him is taeyong, who’s currently getting convinced to take shots with johnny and donghyuck. taeil on the other hand, is trying desperately to dissuade everyone.

“last time you guys got drunk you threw up all over my washroom.” taeil complains, trying to get the waiter not to bring out any alcohol.

“we can go to my house this time. please, i want to get wasted tonight.” donghyuck whines, and eventually taeil sighs and gives up. the waiter, finally having heard a request, runs off to get the beverages. donghyuck always wants to drink, but is always the first to pass out. he’s a lightweight who is in denial, and jaehyun thinks it is the most dangerous breed of people. so, it isn’t a surprise when he’s slumping against johnny’s shoulder. taeyong is a little more sober, but his flushed cheeks indicate the alcohol is affecting him. when donghyuck’s head nearly slams on the table as he falls asleep, johnny and taeil announce they’re taking the two drunks home. 

everyone else contains their alcohol a little better than the pair. all but one.

“such lightweights, aren’t they?” doyoung asks, smiling. though his slurred speech and red face indicate that he isn't any different from them. jaehyun is surprised when he notices doyoung has shifted to sit beside him, having taken taeyong’s seat.

“aren’t _you_ drunk right now, doyoung?” jaehyun sighs, laughing a little. jaehyun is met with yet another surprise, because doyoung _pouts_ at him. jaehyun melts at the sight.

“yeah, but i drank more than them. you saw me right?” doyoung whines defensively. his drunk self is so unlike his sober one; childish and cute. as if the liquid breaks down all his barriers and walls.

jaehyun mumbles an affirmative, knowing anything he says will be useless anyway. he decides to eat more of the food, everyone else starting to drink. the flavour makes jaehyun sigh happily. he’s too focused on the dish to notice doyoung with his mouth open beside him. in fact, he doesn’t realize it until he feels a tug on his arm. 

“me next.” doyoung says, implying he wants jaehyun to feed him. his mouth widens and jaehyun’s ears flush because he can positively say he’s _never_ been in a situation like this before. with his crush, nonetheless. jaehyun picks up his chopsticks again and feeds doyoung. he chews contentedly, lips forming a smile.

he leans over, before whispering in jaehyun’s ear. “can you take me home? i’m really drunk right now.” 

jaehyun blushes and his ears are impossibly crimson, nodding as he doesn’t trust words to come out of his mouth. he grabs doyoung’s arm gently, saying goodbyes to his coworkers. they walk out of the restaurant and are immediately greeted with a chilly gust of wind.

“what’s your address? i’ll call a cab for you.” jaehyun says, but doyoung doesn’t respond. his eyes are struggling to stay open and jaehyun figures it’s no use asking any further. he calls a cab anyway and climbs in with doyoung. putting on his seatbelt proves to be a challenge, and jaehyun doesn’t realize how close they are until he feels tiny puffs of hot air on his cheek. when he hears the familiar _click_ of the seatbelt, he quickly pulls back, knees feeling weak. doyoung is so pretty, eyes closed and mouth open slightly, illuminated by the dull light of the moon and stars.

jaehyun tells the taxi driver his own address, and falls back on the uncomfortable seat. he sighs. it’ll probably be a long night.

  
  
  
  


eventually, after much struggle, jaehyun manages to haul doyoung into his apartment. the odd looks from jaehyun receives from his neighboirs don’t even bother him, because he’s holding doyoung in his arms; the untouchable doyoung he's been longing for, the doyoung he’s been pining after for ages. 

placing him on his couch, jaehyun goes to fill up a glass of water for him. he can hear doyoung grumbling from the living room. 

“my head hurts.” doyoung complains, and jaehyun shushes him with the cold water. gulping, doyoung drinks it all down, letting a satisfied _ah_ sound out when he’s done. he sets the glass down and lies back on jaehyun’s couch pillows. doyoung pulls off his tie, and a few buttons of his dress shirt come undone. his pale skin peeks through and jaehyun almost drools at the sight. 

“are you going to do something about the way you stare at me?”

jaehyun freezes. the bold words come from none other than doyoung himself who doesn’t seem to be embarrassed in the slightest. in fact, he has a smirk on his face and is watching jaehyun so intently he feels shy under his gaze. jaehyun is sure that doyoung won’t remember this tomorrow, the alcohol giving him _too_ much liquid courage. 

“what?” jaehyun asks, pretending to be clueless.

“i notice you, jaehyun. you look at me like you want to swallow me whole.” doyoung continues and jaehyun blushes fiercely, suddenly self-conscious and uneasy. doyoung leans forward and jaehyun leans back, though there isn’t anywhere to go. his couch is only so big. 

“so, why don’t you do it?” doyoung whispers, and it causes a nervous shiver to run down jaehyun’s spine. jaehyun’s mouth is agape and doyoung seizes the chance to place a kiss on his lips. jaehyun is sure his face is crimson by now and grabs doyoung by the shoulders, pulling him away from him.

“doyoung, you’re drunk.” he says in a whisper. it has no effect though, because doyoung simply goes back in and kisses him harder. by the time he pulls away, jaehyun’s lips are a little swollen and puffy. doyoung watches him hazily, seemingly pleased with his work, and lies back onto the couch. jaehyun is almost about to say something, but he’s too in awe. 

doyoung falls asleep like nothing happened.

  
  
  


when jaehyun wakes up, doyoung has already left.

there’s a note on the dining table and a plate of cooked eggs and bacon. as if on cue, the bread from the toaster pops up in the kitchen. 

the note is jot down in neat handwriting:

_thank you for taking care of me, jaehyun. i hope i didn’t cause too much trouble. see you at work today, and enjoy the breakfast i made!_

_doyoung._

jaehyun beams at the thought of eating food cooked by doyoung. he garbles down the food and almost forgets about what happened last night. _almost_.

jaehyun gets dressed. before going to work, he’s reminded by donghyuck that their gift exchange is today. making a quick stop at the pet shop he visited last time, jaehyun purchases the frog and the tank, a pep in his step. he can’t deny that’s he’s in a great mood. (it may or may not be because of doyoung.) 

throughout the morning, jaehyun steals a few glances at doyoung, but he appears to be doing fine. in fact, when he makes eye contact with jaehyun, his callous expression doesn’t change. jaehyun wonders if he’s truly forgotten. 

during lunch, johnny invites taeyong and doyoung to sit with them. jaehyun is almost frantic, a little nervous at the thought of talking to doyoung after last night, but doyoung makes no indication that anything happened. he’s not awkward or shy around jaehyun at all, and jaehyun is convinced the alcohol erased his memory. 

“secret santa today! are you guys excited?” taeyong asks, and by the way he’s all jumpy and can’t seem to stay still, jaehyun will bet he’s anticipating this event more than anyone. 

“pretty excited. i hope my person likes their gift.” jaehyun says thoughtfully. almost instinctively, he looks over at doyoung, but he’s staring straight ahead at johnny. it’s almost like doyoung is avoiding him. 

“they probably will. i mean, you put a lot of thought into it, right?” johnny teases with a wink. jaehyun hopes doyoung doesn’t catch onto how obvious he’s being, and with an expressionless look on his face, jaehyun is sure he doesn’t know.

  
  
  


after lunch, they all gather around a long table to exchange gifts. they’ve borrowed a meeting room just for this occasion, and jaehyun isn’t sure how donghyuck managed to convince anyone to let them use this room. either way, there’s wrapped gifts on the table and excitement in the air. the wrapping paper is a mix of green and red, and it feels and looks like christmas.

“first gift is taeyong’s!” donghyuck announces, and he sounds like he’s announcing the grand winner of the oscars. taeyong rushes over as donghyuck hands him his gift. it’s shaped like a rectangle and wrapped with red wrapping paper, a christmas tree pattern on top. taeyong tears it open with urgency and is met with a shoe box. converse, more specifically. the sneakers are multicoloured high tops. they look vintage and fit taeyong’s style perfectly. taeyong loves them, and it’s obvious from the way his smile widens.

“do you like them?” johnny asks and taeyong nods his head fervently.

“i love them!” taeyong exclaims.

everyone else’s gifts go by at that pace as well, everyone both pleasantly surprised and satisfied with what they’ve received. it comes down to two gifts, and jaehyun and doyoung both look at each other, the thought clicking in both of their heads.

they’re each other's secret santas.

“wow, look at how this worked out. who wants to open their gift first?” donghyuck asks.

“i will.” jaehyun says abruptly. donghyuck hands him the gift with his name written neatly on top, the gift wrapped prestigiously. jaehyun’s gift had been wrapped by him in the meeting room frantically before they had started their exchange, so his technique was not… the best.

jaehyun rips open the packaging and inside is a crew neck sweater. it’s a beautiful shade of blue, and it occurs to jaehyun that doyoung owns the same one but in black. he pulls it out of the wrapping paper and looks at it, loving the design etched onto it. 

“i love it, doyoung! thank you.” jaehyun says sincerely, smile wide. doyoung blushes.

doyoung follows suite, opening up his precious gift carefully. when he gets to the box, doyoung peeks inside, and steps back in both shock and happiness.

“what is it?” yuta asks, and everyone’s curiosity is piqued. 

doyoung reaches into the box and lets the frog hop onto his hand. he pulls it out and shows everyone. 

“it’s a frog!” doyoung exclaims and he’s smiling so widely his cheeks hurt. everyone looks at the frog curiously, not understanding why doyoung is so happy. “thank you so much, jaehyun!”

jaehyun beams. “you’re welcome.” 

doyoung unboxes the tank and his mouth is open in awe. “my sweater is such a shitty gift compared to this.”

this causes everyone to laugh. 

everyone goes back to their cubicle, and jaehyun can see doyoung humming as he sets up his frog tank. he’s so delighted with the amphibian and jaehyun is even happier that he likes it. jaehyun packs up his sweater and is ready to go home, heart feeling full, but doyoung stops him before he can leave.

“jaehyun, can i ask you a question?” 

jaehyun furrows his eyebrows. “yes?”

“will you go out with me?” doyoung asks, and he looks jaehyun straight in the eye. jaehyun feels his mouth go dry, and he doesn’t even know if he heard doyoung right. there’s no time to hesitate though, because jaehyun has been waiting for those words from doyoung ever since he started his job here.

“yes. of course.” he says quickly, and it makes doyoung laugh.

“hopefully this makes up for my bad gift.” doyoung teases and jaehyun blushes.

"your gift wasn't bad." jaehyun denies, rolling his eyes. 

doyoung looks at him with a look that says _i know you're lying_ and begins to carefully pack up his frog tank. he turns back to jaehyun. “wait there. i’ll pack up my frog tank and then drive you home.” he says, and jaehyun just nods contentedly, feeling his face warm up. 

this is definitely the best christmas present he’s ever received.

**Author's Note:**

> some things to note:  
> — doyoung does remember the kiss he and jaehyun shared, he's just a little too embarrassed to admit it. theyll be sharing plenty more of those in the future <3  
> — doyoung has always noticed his rather pretty coworker jaehyun, but has never had the courage to do anything about it.
> 
> this fic stemmed from my recent growing love for frogs. theyre just so cute:( not at all gross!!!!!!!!! anyway i was planning on writing a longer fic entirely different from this, but i started and just couldn't stop >< frogs + pining is a great prompt i think. roughly edited but excuse any mistakes i made!
> 
> p.s i seem to write about drunk kissing a lot. it's just a coincidence that it keeps occurring OOPs
> 
> kudos and comments are appreciated!!! id love to hear your thoughts<3
> 
> til the next fic! :D


End file.
